Carol’s Comments
September 2013
By Carol Rusinek
Hello Everyone! Welcome
to another issue of Carol’s Comments. I am a volunteer at the River Park Branch. Summer can be an especially adventurous time
for reading. So this year, I decided to explore an eclectic assortment of books
I wouldn’t normally select.
The first book that
caught my attention while browsing the River Park Branch’s new fiction section
was Farewell
Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister. This delightful story focuses on
introverted movie critic Violet Epps who tries to emulate her muse, the acerbic
literary icon Dorothy Parker when writing her very opinionated and witty movie
reviews.
One day while visiting
New York’s famous Algonquin Hotel where Mrs. Parker once presided over lively
discussions at the legendary Algonquin Round Table with other regarded writers
like Robert Benchley and Edna Ferber, Violet steals an irreplaceable guest book
from the 1920’s.
When she opens it,
Dorothy Parker’s ghost magically emerges from the book. The outspoken and
irrepressible critic decides to totally inhabit Violet’s world and give her the
self-confidence she needs to live a more fulfilling and happier life. Along the
way, Violet’s mischievous mentor cleverly helps her gain custody of her niece
Delaney and be more assertive in her romantic relationships and career.
This charming and very
funny novel is the perfect summer escape. With its fast-paced snappy dialogue,
it reminded me of a surreal Gilmore Girls episode or an Isis
Crawford Simmons Sisters mystery. I just loved it!
Next I wanted to read a
coming of age novel set during my own adolescence. After finding outstanding
reviews in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly about Meg
Wolitzer’s new bestseller, The Interestings, it looked like the perfect choice.
Wolitzer’s book centers
around fifteen year old Jules Jacobson who meets and befriends five very
creative and offbeat teenagers at a performing and fine arts summer camp in
1974. As the plot unfolds, the story primarily concentrates on Jules’ very
close 35 year friendship with privileged Ash Wolf, wildly creative and
successful boy-genius animator Ethan Figman and musical prodigy-turned
mechanical engineer Jonah Bay.
This very nostalgic
book brilliantly captures the vulnerabilities and aspirations of each
character. The story realistically shows how unexpected experiences and
coincidences can dramatically alter life choices.
Filled with very quirky
and multifaceted characters, Wolitzer’s serious literary writing style is very
reminiscent of John Irving’s fiction. While her characters are very
unconventional, they aren’t as weird as those found in Irving’s novels like The
World According to Garp or The Hotel New Hampshire.
Anyone from the later
years of the Baby Boom generation should enjoy this emotionally charged,
thought provoking book. I highly recommend it.
I’m not usually
attracted to books and movies about the Muslim world. But after one of my
friends enthusiastically encouraged me to read The Kite Runner by Khaled
Hosseini, I decided to try it.
Set against the
backdrop of modern Afghanistan’s political turmoil between 1975 through 2001,
Hosseini’s wonderful coming of age novel focuses on the special friendship between
twelve year old Amir and the household servant’s illiterate son Hassan. However,
their relationship is severely tested when Amir blatantly ignores Hassan’s
desperate cries for help during a brutal assault by a neighborhood bully and
Amir’s subsequent unforgivable betrayal of his loyal friend.
After immigrating with
his father to the United States, Amir has a chance for redemption many years
later when he receives a fervent plea from his father’s business partner Rahim
Khan to return to his war ravaged homeland to find and rescue Hassan’s young
son Sohrab from certain death under Taliban rule.
This incredibly
heartbreaking yet uplifting story touched me so deeply because it demonstrates
that through loyalty and love, anyone can be forgiven for past mistakes. I’m
sure this unforgettable novel will become a modern classic. The
Kite Runner should be required reading for every high school and
college student.
After finishing The
Kite Runner, I eagerly watched the 2007 film adaptation almost
immediately. Unfortunately, the movie really disappointed me.
Directed by Marc
Forster, this very weak film version lacked sincerity and realism because it
omits many crucially important details depicted in Hosseini’s book. Told in
flashback, David Benioff’s sketchy screenplay uses excessive, distracting
subtitles especially during the first hour which takes place entirely in
Afghanistan. This was totally unnecessary in an Irish produced film.
Although I generally
don’t like gratuitous violence in movies, the director softened many violent
scenes which lessened the film’s dramatic impact by diminishing the brutality
and repression currently happening in Afghanistan. At times, I felt like I was
viewing a very clumsy, pedestrian and forgettable TV movie. I strongly suggest
skipping this movie and reading Hosseini’s marvelous book instead.
All the books,
television programs and movies discussed in my column can be found at all SJCPL
locations. For more information, visit the Library’s web site at www.libraryforlife.org
. Thanks for reading! See you all next time.
Previously posted at the SJCPL blog
Previously posted at the SJCPL blog
